August 31 marked a watershed event in Greek diplomacy as Ioannis Plotas, the Greek Ambassador to Nigeria, declared that Greece would actively work to uplift Nigeria’s populace out of poverty. Plotas explained that “in order to alleviate poverty and to provide whatever we can in the domain of humanitarian efforts, our government is ready to contribute either financially or in kind with certain materials.” 

About Poverty and the Economy in Nigeria

Nigeria ranks amongst the five most poverty-stricken nations according to the World Bank, with around 30% of the population earning less than the extreme poverty threshold in 2019. Nigeria’s poverty has persisted since this point with UNICEF reporting in January that around 25 million Nigerians may have had inadequate food consumption from June to August. What led Nigeria to the brink of starvation with a crippling economy? 

According to UNICEF, there is an array of causes of Nigeria’s mass famine and poverty, including economic shocks and a lack of human capital. The World Bank’s 2022 report on the nation’s poverty cited a lack of educational infrastructure, sanitation and electricity as leading contributors to a near 40% of the nation lying below the national poverty line. Despite this crisis persisting for years, government aid to those in need is scarce. The government has scaled back on spending on education and food production, which hinders the long-term growth of human capital. 

Although Nigeria may be scaling back in certain infrastructure, the World Bank affirms that the government is implementing policies that enrich the long-term future of the nation, such as investing in agricultural efficiency and sanitation. These investments in infrastructure have the potential to be the catalyst for a prosperous Nigerian economy, including a plethora of job opportunities and reliable social services. 

Greece’s Nigerian Aid Program

Greece’s intervention in Nigerian affairs is a departure from its conventional passive foreign policy. The nation famously restricted Syrian refugees from entering the nation in 2015 as they fled the bloody Syrian Civil War. Greece then stood firm on its refusal to send funds to aid those the Turkey-Syria Earthquake affected, which took the lives of more than 50,000. This explicit lack of involvement in foreign affairs made Greece’s aid to Nigeria more puzzling yet profound. 

Plotas’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s economic transformation through the Nigerian aid program is the second part of Greece’s involvement in rebuilding the nation. In May, Plotas held the second Nollywood Travel Film Festival in Athens to promote the Nigerian movie industry. By exposing the Greek people to Nigerian film and culture, Plotas hoped to cultivate a “cultural tie between the two countries.” 

Building upon this, Plotas has pledged that the Greek government will provide financial aid to the Nigerian government to help fund the aforementioned projects to build infrastructure. Partnering with the Greek Red Cross Society, Plotas claims that Greece’s Nigerian aid program will assist the nation “financially or in kind with certain materials.” Plotas has affirmed that Greek aid will be sustained and steady as “we are targeting as many people as possible to lift them out of poverty.”

Looking Ahead

There are several other organizations supporting Nigeria such as the United Nations, Save the Children and Action Against Hunger. They are all raising funds to provide financial assistance to impoverished families and address malnutrition in the nation. Through these foundations and foreign involvement, Nigeria’s economic crisis may be quelled, marking a new age of prosperity in the nation.

– Dimitri Lykidis
Photo: Flickr